Discharge apparatus



June 7, 1960 A. CARLSMITH ET AL 2,939,745

DISCHARGE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1958 June 7, 1960 L. A. CARLSMITH EI'AL 2,939,745

DISCHARGE APPARATUS Filed July 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 U ed S ates Patenro 2,939,745 1 DISCHARGE APPARATUS Lawrence A. Carlsmith, Amherst, and Oscar Luthi,

Nashua, NH, assignors to Improved Machinery,lnc., Nashua, N.H., a corporation of Maine Filed July z, 1958, Ser. No. 146,293

' 6 Claims. 01. 302-14 This invention relates to pumping apparatus and more particularly todischarge. devices. especially useful for cooperation with pumps of the intermeshingflscrew type.

Pumps utilizing intermeshing screws are usefulEfor the transportation of a variety of mixtures, such as wood chips and water. Suchmixtures are (difficult to transport and'have'great tendency whenever an Obstruction occurs along the interior surface thereof, such as for example, when the cross-sectional.

of the mixture at the provide an improved means for transferringthe pumped material from the discharge area of the rotors of "an intermeshing screw type of pumpto a conventional pipe or the like. r V I The preferred structure of the invention embodies an appropriately designed vane mounted adjacent each rotor of the pumpat its discharge end with 'each vane being positioned within a casing portion ofigenerally volute configuration. A transitionpassageway is providedbetween the volute portions and the discharge pipe. The

clearing vanes are driven by the pump shafts and act to transport the mixture through the increasing area of conduit. In this manner, the structure insures that the pumped mixture is continually moved forward within the discharge casing such that clogging or other interference during the transition period of discharge does not occur. Other objects and advantages of the invention, together with features thereof, will become apparent as the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawings, progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view, in partial section, of an intermeshing screw pump including the preferredyem'bodiment of a discharge apparatus which incorporates the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view from the discharge end of the screw type pump, showing the outer configuration of the discharge casing;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the discharge casing structure;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing the interrelationships between the clearing vanes and the discharge casing;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a ture; and

clearing vane structo clog in the conduit or pipe entitled Intermeshing S crew; assigned to the assignee of the.

however, has produced certain forced through the pump 16 2,939,745 Fatenlged June],1960

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-'-6 of Fig. 1 showing the vanes within the discharge casingpositioned adjacent the ends of the pump rotors, the vanes and rotors being shown in elevation.

With reference to Fig. 1, the casing 10 of the intermeshing screw-type pump houses'two rotor shafts 12, 14. he particular pumpillustrated is of the type described in the aforementioned copending application Serial No. 631,577, itsshafts being disposed at skew angles to one another. with other types Inthis particular pum ofintermeshing screw pumps, however.

of screw members respectively, with by coaction 18, 20, mounted onthe shaft 12, 14

the wallsof the pump casing.. The' shafts 12, 14 rotate.

in the same direction thus transporting the mixture through the casing. The screw threads of the members 18, 20 are designed such that the back leakage path between the interacting portions thereof is negligible,

The mixture is pumped through the pump. casing-ltlbv the rotors and into thedischarge casing 22.

The discharge casing is a housing portion which isLsecured to the discharge end of thepump bymeans of bolted flanges 23. It

1 pump and the outlet conduit 24. The latter is connected with respect to a a pipe having a cross-section area,

' radii of volutes the volute portions into the passageway and discharge meets the two volutes 30,

to the casing by;means of fianges 26 and zflflwhich are bolted together. the discharge casing may be seen. in Figs. 2 and 3.

This discharge conduit 24 is shown disposed vertically shown in Fig. 1 The position of the discharge may be varied as desired commensurate withthe application of the equipment. A webl rnember i29 is provided to increase therigidity of the flanged-portion of the discharge casing. i

The interior'fof the discharge casing is formed to provide two ihtermeshing .volutes in the preferred embodi ment, a.first f volutef-30 which coop erated witha cor.- responding rotating vane structure 32 and a second manner. and each volute".'is positioned in a similar manner relative to its vane,.as may be .seen in Fig. 4. The, volutes are designed such that points of corresponding.- equal radii are ,{positioned at substantially; the same angle relative to the associated vane as viewed in Fig. 4. The increase at equal rates in the direction of rotation of the vanes. The smallest radius of volute 30 is at point 37 and the smallest radius of volute 34 is at point 38. At corresponding points 40 and 42 the volutes are of equal diameter. A straight portion 44 con- 34 between these points such that the volute configuration of the casing 20 is modified as in this area the volute 30 commences to intermesh with the volute 34. This portion is a smooth straight wall between points 40 and 42 such that interference with flow is minimized. The volute 34 continues to increase in radius from point 42 to junction with a transition portion 46 which is connected to the discharge conduit 24.

Positioned within the discharge casing are the two substantially identical clearing vane structures 32, 36 which are positioned relative to the ends of the shafts 12, 14 respectively as extensions thereof as may be seen in Figs. 1 and 6. Each vane structure includes a smoothly curved vane member 48 of gradually decreasing radius from leading edge 50 to trailing edge 52. The vane is positioned on its hub 54 such that its leading edge is adjacent the end of the associated pump rotor shaft and its trailing edge is on the opposite or outer end of the hub. Each vane is developed in a smooth curve across substantially the entire length of the hub. The relation- The invention is suitable for practice,

the chip mixture or otherma terial to be pumped is introduced through inlet 16 andfis provides-a transition between the} The general exterior configuration of pump mounted on a horizontal base as vane structures as shown in ship of these elementsmay be better understood with reference to Fig. -5. The corresponding portions of the Figs. 4 and 6 are identified with the same reference numerals.

: In operation, pumped material'is discharged from the pumprotors-onto the ciearingvanes within the discharge casing 22. Each vane operates to move pumped material in an outward directionparallel to the ajxis of the rotor shaft and in addition in a direction along the interior of the casing as defined by the volutes. This directioh of travel of the pumped material is indicated generally'by the arrows1(Fig.- 4). The material is moved smoothly and easily through the discharge transition member into the-discharge conduit. Due tothe open design of the vanes there is'little orno'tendency for anyinte'r'ference-due to flow in a reverse-direction at the intermeshing point between the two wane Thus, the transition from putnpfto discharge conduit-is accomplisfhed without clogging. The vanes, intlieir continuous "rotatione tend to maintain all thesurfaces in "clear condition such that the continuous unobstructed flow is assured.

' Althougha preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, certain modifications thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art' and it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto orjto details thereof, and departures may be made therefrom within the spirit fined in'the' following claims.

We claim: a

1 lnfcombiriation r-with a pump or the intermeshing' screw type adapted for pumping mixtures of wood chipsand water andthe like, said'pnmp having a housing, two

. generally parallel pump shafts which rotate inzthe-same direction mounted withinsaid housing: and a dischargeport in said housing through which said pump shafts' ex tend, adischa'rge apparatusadaptedrto be mounted on said pump housing ii -communication with the discharge port of said pump such that said pum'p shafts extend into said discharge apparatus, said discharge apparatus'being" adapted to convert the flow of mixtures from pump discharge port which is substantially parallel to the axes'of rotation of said pump shafts't'o a flow-direction substane tially' perpendicular to sai'd axes of rotation, corrip'rising- V a discharge casing having" an inlet disposed in' cornmunicay tion with said discharge port -afid'an outlet disposed perpendicularly to said inlet and adaptedto-be connected to a suitable conduit, and two rotor structures mounted within'sa'id casing,'each rotor structure' being adaptedt'o be driven in rotation by'a cooperating one of said pump least shafts, vane extending outwardly from said hub in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the as-' each said rotor structure including a hub and a sociated rotor, said, casing having a chamber portion of interior configuration which-defines about each rotor, at

in part, a chamber of gradually increasing radius about the axisof rotation of theassociated rotor.

2. The discharge apparatus as claimed in claim, 1

wherein said rotor'str'uctures aremounte'd side by side i such that their vanes overlap in rotation and the casing,

chamber portion associated with one of "said-trotors merges in a smooth transition with the casing chamber portion associated with the second rotor, said casing chamber being-arranged so that the new passageway generally increases in'volun'ie fromzsaid casing inlet to said casing outlet.

3. The discharge apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said vane is a smoothly curved member which extends over a proximately one-half the; circumferenc'ei'of the hub -and which. has}: leading edge" and a trailing ed'gejthe 'periphery'of's aid vane-defining a'g'radually decreasing jra'diusfrom'said leading edge-to said and scope of the invention as 'detrailing edg'ehnd said trailing edge being disposedfa'ta greater distance from *s'aid dis'charge port than said leads W v. .v 4. .The dischar'g'e apparatuses claimed in claii'n 1 wherein said casing chamber portions arefposit'ioned ir'eiaj tive to none another such that. pumpedfrnateiia'lhis fed:

between them ancl'sai'd casing .includesj a smoothtrans'is tionjportion between the' said chamber, 1por tions"; i

SQThe discharge apparatus asfclairhed in claim 1 wherein said casing 'charn'berfportions-are positioned in inter-meshing relationship'auds id vane structures areposis tio'nedj tof overlap one another in operation. f 6. The discharge apparatus as claimed References citea-tntasme'srt is pafent' I in claim 1- 'wherein'sa'id vane structures are substantially identical 7 and said casing chamber portions includeporrespondingly positionedsections' of equal radii." 

